new year, vision boards + self-reflection
A review and guide to vision boarding
Hello, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic couple weeks of 2024. I've almost completed my third week at my new job – my very first big girl role. It's been exciting, but adapting to the routine has been challenging (hence the delay in this article – sorry!).
For years, I've enjoyed creating vision boards, particularly at the start of each year. They're not just goal-setting tools for me; they're growth guides. For the first time, I've compared my vision boards year over year. In this piece, I'll share my insights from the 2023 board, the evolution to the 2024 version, and a couple tips for creating your own vision board (if you haven’t done so already)!
reviewing 2023
My 2023 vision board was a beacon of hope and optimism. Fresh off the boat as a first-time startup founder, I was living in a bubble of naïveté but loving every minute of it. The board was anchored by the phrase "In my building era," which primarily focused on three themes: 1) relentless hard work; 2) resilience; and 3) wealth creation.
reflecting and learning
2023 was a rollercoaster of growth, setbacks, and valuable lessons. I took chances and failed hard (several times) but learned a lot in the process. I’ve learned to:
Be okay with letting go
Take things less seriously
Take chances more often
Lean into my feelings instead of letting them control me
Be more effortful with my relationships
Be consistent – even with the little things
Be okay with not knowing/understanding something
Take life as it is – one big social experiment
These are still very much in progress, but they say awareness is the first step to progress. I feel like 2023 was the year I started collecting seeds and hopefully, in 2024 I get to start planting and perhaps even watering them.
2024 vision
While I loved my 2023 vision board, I have to say, my 2024 one takes the cake! In a way, I think that should always be the case. I feel like my vision board reflects not only my goals for the future but what my current priorities are in life.
In 2023, I cared about being successful. I still do, but I think my definition of what it means to be successful has shifted. I care less about the accolades splashed across my 2023 board — things like Forbes 30 under 30, the check for $1,000,000, and 111k followers.
And while there is nothing wrong with caring about these things, I personally feel like a lot of these goals are simply byproducts of living in purpose. The way I see it, if I use my skills to help others and I enjoy it in the process, everything else will follow. The money, the rewards, etc.
living a softer life
Going into 2024, I am so much more focused on living a softer life. I want to experience more with the people I love and put a lot more effort into nurturing the relationships I care about, while also making room for new ones. In 2023, I was way too focused on my startup goals to the detriment of everything else in my life. When things weren’t going well, I doubled down by pushing myself even harder. Honestly, this led to one big anxious, depressed mess.
This year, I want to avoid that and instead focus on things that bring me joy: pursuing fun hobbies, working out, friends and family, new experiences, eating good, pink cute things, living through my phone less, and simply being at least a tiny bit better each day. That's it.
why vision boards work
Research shows that vision boards are powerful tools for self-exploration and setting intentions. They provide a creative avenue to symbolically process and clarify complex questions about your values and aspirations. Whether it’s carving a new career path or exploring different facets of your identity, vision boards can be your guiding star.
As you layer your board with images, words, and symbols, you're not just creating art – you're mapping out a path to your goals. This process can significantly impact your self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Basically, it's about setting your heart's desires out there and then letting the universe work its magic to bring them to life. What a fun way to start a new year.
vision board tidbits
Okay, now let's get into it. For anyone wondering how I went about creating my vision boards, I’ve provided all the steps I followed below, plus an AI prompt to help you come up with ideas for finding visuals that align with your vision! Making a vision board is such a dynamic process, and there's no right or wrong way to do it. So be open to trying different things and pick and choose what works best for you.
steps taken
Use tools like Canva, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Use specific prompts or guiding questions for reflection.
Don’t be afraid to make changes to your board as you see fit (over days, weeks, or even months).
Display your board and share it.
Consider breaking down your board into achievable, bite-sized goals.
focusing your vision
Try to come up with a list of all the different areas of your life you care about. Once you come up with your list, cut it down to your top three to four objectives to help you narrow in on what’s most important to you. Trying to focus on too many things makes it much harder to stick to what matters most.
I’m convinced that the best way to be consistent is by:
1. being deliberate with what you choose to prioritize — and as uncomfortable as it can be, this includes saying no to anything that takes away from your most important priorities; and
2. breaking down the goal into very small, specific steps. the busier you are, the smaller you should make the task.
If you have to, break it down to a task that takes 5 minutes out of your day.
This is my shortened list:
Purpose: Engage in work, volunteerism, creative outlets, continuous learning, and exploration.
Self-Care: Prioritize physical and mental well-being through exercise, balanced diet, skincare, therapy, and reduced screen time.
Travel: Explore new places and cultures, and visit family.
Relationships: Invest in friendships, be open to new connections, and cherish experiences shared with loved ones.
gather your visuals
Once you’ve narrowed down your list, spend time thinking about what each theme means for you. Ask yourself questions like: What does self-care mean to me? What does my life look like when I prioritize my relationships?
As you visualize, search Pinterest using your theme ideas plus "aesthetic" to find inspiring imagery. For example, search "pilates aesthetic," "healthy living aesthetic," etc.
try using ai to get ideas
To help you get started, here's a little prompt you can use with AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT for generating vision board ideas. Feel free to adapt it to your themes and goals!
Original Prompt: I am creating a vision board for the new year. I've brainstormed a few themes I'd like to capture in my vision board provided below. I will be using Pinterest to search for and gather the imagery. Please provide me with a list of search items for each of the themes I've provided, taking into consideration my thoughts about the given theme. Each search term should end with "aesthetic." For example, "pilates aesthetic" as opposed to "pilates." Theme #1: [Insert your theme + notes here]
steps to follow:
Replace the bolded text with your theme and corresponding notes after “Theme #1:” and hit send!
Use your list to help guide your Pinterest search for vision board items.
example:
My Prompt: “I am creating a vision board for the new year. I've brainstormed a few themes I'd like to capture in my vision board provided below. I will be using Pinterest to search for and gather the imagery. Please provide me with a list of search items for each of the themes I've provided, taking into consideration my thoughts about the given theme. Each search term should end with "aesthetic." For example, "pilates aesthetic" as opposed to "pilates." Theme #1: self-care - includes exercise (gym, yoga, pilates), balanced and enjoyable diet, minimal drinking, creating and maintaining daily routines, skincare, body care, therapy, less screen time/social media, more reading, meditation.”
Claude Generated List:
Yoga aesthetic
Meditation aesthetic
Healthy food aesthetic
Smoothie bowl aesthetic
Skin care aesthetic
Bubble bath aesthetic
Nature walk aesthetic
Therapy aesthetic
Reading aesthetic
Morning routine aesthetic
Night routine aesthetic
Journaling aesthetic
Gym aesthetic
Pilates aesthetic
Green juice aesthetic
Balanced life aesthetic
ChatGPT 4 Generated List:
Exercise
Gym aesthetic
Yoga aesthetic
Pilates aesthetic
Diet and Nutrition
Balanced diet aesthetic
Healthy meals aesthetic
Joyful eating aesthetic
Lifestyle and Habits
Minimal drinking aesthetic
Daily routine aesthetic
Productive morning routine aesthetic
Evening routine aesthetic
Skincare and Body Care
Skincare routine aesthetic
Body care aesthetic
Natural skincare aesthetic
Mental Health and Wellness
Therapy session aesthetic
Digital detox aesthetic
Reading nook aesthetic
Meditation space aesthetic
Mindfulness aesthetic